Schreyer’s Book on Architectural Design with SketchUp in Second Edition

October 22, 2015

The second edition of “Architectural Design with SketchUp: 3D Modeling, Extensions, BIM, Rendering, Making, and Scripting,” by Alexander C. Schreyer, director of the Building and Construction Technology program, is being released Monday, Oct. 26.

Schreyer is also senior lecturer in environmental conservation and a faculty member in architecture.

The book, which has become the main reference, textbook, and sourcebook for designing with SketchUp, uses step-by-step tutorials and color illustrations to teach anyone 3D modeling and show what one can achieve with Trimble SketchUp. SketchUp is a popular 3D modeling software that comes in free and professional versions and is used by students, architectural and interior designers, landscape planners, builders, engineers and makers worldwide.

Coming three years after the first edition, the book features many updates and improvements but also a completely new chapter on “Making with SketchUp,” which provides instruction to translate what has been designed on the computer into real, physical objects using such techniques as 3D printing, CNC routing or laser cutting.

Every object that we use – phones, furniture, cars, houses, planes – is designed using 3D modeling software. “Even our kids enjoy spending copious time with Minecraft, which is an app that lets them play using 3D modeling.” Schreyer says.

Schreyer makes the case that not only designers but everyone should know some principles of 3D modeling. And SketchUp, which is used everywhere from elementary schools to multinational architecture firms, is the ideal software for this kind of wide appeal.

The last chapter in this book, “Creating Geometry Using Ruby Scripting.” serves two vastly different purposes. For designers, it provides a way to use a scripting language to create complex computational geometry. For everyone else – and increasingly for school kids – this chapter can serve as a “learn to code” curriculum, which teaches coding principles in a fun and accessible way.

The book is being released with a collection of 33 instructional videos. In addition, an interactive companion website at http://sketchupfordesign.com provides a preview of those videos, access to 3D models from the book, and a way to interact with the author and other readers.

This book is being published in paperback and ebook versions by John Wiley & Sons.